“What do video games have to do with archaeology? The worlds of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario Bros., or Tetris seem a far cry from anything archaeologists usually work on. But both involve imagining and visualizing worlds populated by humans, with human behavior and culture (and sometimes with mutated humans, aliens, the undead, and giant gorillas throwing barrels). VALUE (Videogames and Archaeology at Leiden University) began two and a half years ago. One of our many goals is to show the great potential video games have for archaeology in terms of public outreach, heritage preservation, and education, but also for actual research.”

Don Michael Hudson

Don Michael Hudson, PhD, is Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Philosophy and Religion Department at King College in Bristol, TN. He serves on the governing board of the King Institute of Faith and Culture and manages King College's participation in the Tel Azekah dig with Tel Aviv University.